When The Last Tree Falls - A Historical Climate Fiction

by Mr Hashem Abdi

356 pages, Paperback

Published April 22, 2025

Reviews

[The_Halfblood_Muslim · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The story is so engaging and so sad and heartbreaking at the same time. Beautifully written. I really became attached to all the characters. Even though this book is a work of fiction, it has very nonfictional elements of course, so I thought I would be crying by the end, I was, but because it was such a good ending 😭😭😭. I really hope there is a sequel. A new generation perhaps…

[Shaq]

Alarming and Emphatic!

I would give this book a 3 star, but out of respect for the author, I don't want to tank their Goodreads rating because its hard enough to be a POC author in this industry, let alone trying to self publish and going about it themselves, but in order to remain unbiased, Ill leave the rating out completely.

Theres much to talk about this book, there's the Good, the Bad and the Great
Ill start off with the Great. This book is a Historical Climate Fiction, a genre you don't quite read a lot about, simply because in a way the genre is almost non existent. Theres a lot of conversations around climate crisis and global warming and the impending doom around it, but for the most part, the discussions are spoken in a dystopian, apocalyptic sense of the story. That is to say that its something that we are heading towards, its almost like a warner of the future that could possibly happen, and unfortunately also becomes something that people then overlook as something that yeah, things are terrible but what really are we going to be able to do about it.
Contrasted to the story being told in a Historical context, i.e. this is the reality of what we have let happen, and is currently happening even more so due to our negligence and ignorance.

The Good is getting that glimpse into Somali tradition, the culture and all its intricacies, opening a magnifying glass to show the unique way of life that the Somalis have, in how they raise children, in how they are raised to be adults through responsibilities. Personally, my favourite was the underrepresented superheroes that the women of the book are, even though the focus of the story is on the men of the households, anytime there is any involvement by the women of society, they are just straight up the unsung heroes all the time.

But to go with the Bad, I feel like I could have done with more descriptive writing, especially the scientific and destructive part of it, as much as there might be a fear of spoon feeding or taking the person out of the story, considering that's the core message, it needs to be understood far greater than it was done in the way that it did. I had the pleasure to read this book with access to the author, and so I was able to get a lot more context and additional media to look at to fill in the blanks but I feel the average reader is less likely to be impacted by the story without having obtained that context than to be able to make those connections by themselves.
And secondly, the characters, there's a lot of very unique and interesting characters in the story, but for some reason they are just not fleshed out enough. There are so many times where I was just confused on why someone was acting that way and it quite literally felt like I might have missed out on some pages because there was just a transition from who they were to who they are, and its just left to a lot of hypotheticals of them probably being this way because of XYZ. Not to mention the villain not getting some screen time in explaining their rationale, I feel was definitely a let down for me. Being able to associate the villains behaviour with that of those organizations or people in real life has to be vital for a Climate Fiction which I feel we didn't really get the opportunity for.

All in all though, an enlightening if not a little harrowing tale that I would encourage many to read, I cant wait to see more of Hashem Abdi's writings as an emerging author of our time.

[Zakariye · Rating 5 out of 5]

A breathtaking novel that blends heartfelt storytelling, rich world-building, and an urgent message about climate resilience. From the first page, I felt completely immersed in the village of Qilad, a place so vivid I could almost hear the crackling of the dry earth underfoot.

What truly made this story exceptional for me was how deeply I connected with each and every character. Each character felt like a mirror reflecting parts of myself, which I find a rare experience as a reader.

The cultural grounding made the stakes of this story feel even more real, and as a result there were moments where I found myself moved by the emotional depth woven into the narrative.

[Safyre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never read a historic climate fiction before so this was interesting and informative to an extent and the characters were endearing. I wish the characters were developed a bit better to justify certain actions to help be more immersive. However, we did have the author in person to reason any clarifications. It's a 3 star read for me as parts of the narrative moved at a slower pace than necessary.

[amally · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Last Tree Falls follows Naeem, a boy growing up in a quiet Somali village. Life there is mostly peaceful until people start cutting down the nearby forest, and Naeem and his friends decide to act. What happens next ends up changing everything for him, for the village, and for the people around him. I won’t spoil anything, but it’s a coming-of-age story that really explores community, responsibility, grief, and survival.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing is so vivid and visual. I could see everything so clearly in my mind. It felt like I was walking through the village, standing by the river, and watching each moment unfold. I love when a book can make you feel that connected to the setting.

It’s also rare for me to enjoy every single character in a story, but this was definitely one of those books. I felt invested in all of them. I absolutely loved Jaylani, such a fab character🥺But I was also completely hooked by Naeem’s story.

And Mahad? I need a whole book just about him. There’s so much depth to his character, and I found myself wanting to understand him more!!

One thing I really appreciated was how the women were written in this book. They weren’t just background figures. They had strength, presence, and their own importance. Somali women are the backbone of our communities, and it was lovely to see that reflected in characters like Naeem’s mum, his sister Zainab, and others I won’t name to avoid spoilers🤭

One line that really stuck with me was: “But seeing her fascination with nature helped remind me she was more than just a mother, and just like everyone else, she had her own history and things that she cherished.” I IMMEDIATELY HIGHLIGHTED THAT!

There’s also an important message in the book about climate change and how the destruction of the environment affects small, often forgotten communities. It’s a theme that runs through the story in a really natural way which I appreciated a lot!

And finally, something I always appreciate in a story is when it doesn’t leave me with loads of unanswered questions. This book tied everything together in a way that felt intentional and complete, which I really liked.

I genuinely loved this book and I’m already looking forward to whatever Hashem Abdi writes next.

[Zeinab Ibrahim-Hashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

No spoilers: This book was a real pleasure to read. It has a strong message and excellent character development. The writing style is engaging, and I am sure I will be re-reading again in the future. Lots to learn and I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

[Adiwahab abdisalam · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all reading a book with Somali names and culture was a novel experience. The world building was immaculate, at some point it was hard to distinguish what was real and what was not, that’s how good the story was. I was actually saying may allah bless them for fictional characters. One of the best novels I’ve read. I finished the book in legit 2 days cos I couldn’t put it down. I can’t believe this is your first novel and I can’t wait to read more of your writing.

[W S · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who hasn’t stepped out of thriller fiction novels in a while, this was truly such an amazing book! From the storyline to the characters, it kept me as a reader very engaged. There wasn’t a moment where I felt bored. The author did a great job at descriptions; from the setting, the characters, and smells, etc, you truly feel immersed.

Such a good read, def recommend

[Sagal Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, the story was very compelling and topical. Naeem’s character was very well developed and the story was engaging! The writing was fantastic too - looking forward to more of Hashem’s works in the future!